Boy how time as passed! It wasn't too long ago that we were all still enjoying the long summer and bright sunny days. Now the symbolic weather of the fall season has begun to present itself through cold mornings and wet days. Nonetheless, there is a sense of comfort I get from the cold weather of fall and winter. It is a great time to stay cozy inside and spend quality time with friends, family, and the people you love. Even here at the office I turn on the portable heater and hover around it as if it were a real fireplace providing warmth. That little thing makes me just a little bit happier and grateful to be where I am. What makes you happy?

Staying happy is not always possible. Nor is it always necessary. But, when you spend most of your days staying positive and showing gratitude you can change the shape of your life experiences as well as change the life experiences of others. Showing gratitude for the good things you have is the most powerful happiness boosting activity there is. It will make you happier. It will improve your relationships. And most importantly, it helps make life better for everyone around you. A useful memory is a powerful thing. Do not train your brain to see the negative, teach it to see the positive.

"But alas, enough of the preaching Grant! What are you here to say?"

I would like to take this opportunity to express some gratitude. Just recently, a very special lady named Christine Gustafson, undertook a huge project to benefit MSQLP. With the help of Mimi Wessling our webmaster, and myself, Christine redesigned an entirely new look for MSQLP's website. If you feel inclined to check it out, you can visit the site by clicking here. The website URL is also located on the top right corner of our e-newsletter. 

This was a tremendous project for Christine to do for us out of charity and I am so impressed with the final product. I truly believe that our new website relays the warmth and welcome our organization represents. 

And for that, I am grateful. 

Thank you Christine!

Finally, thank you to our readers! For being a part of the strong community that we have here in the Central Coast and such an awesome part of my life.

Warm regards,

Grant Helm

Executive Director

An Advanced Health Care Directive (also known as just an Advance Directive) is a form that informs your physicians, friends, and family about your end of life decisions and values. Take the quiz below in order to decide if establishing a Advance Health Care Directive is right for you. This quiz will help kick-start your thought process about your preferences and your end of life values. If this quiz does get you interested, we advise that you attend our workshop on Advance Directives so that you may begin planning an Advanced Health Care Directive for yourself.

1. When you are reaching the end of life, where would you like to be?

a) a nursing home

b) a  hospital

c) at home

d) Not important to me.

2. Who would you appointment as your Health Care Agent (a person assigned as your representative who is responsible for making health care decisions for you if you are unable to make them for yourself)?

a) Spouse

b) Son/Daughter

c) Mother/Father

d) Friend

e) Other: ________________

f) I don't know

3. When you pick your Health Care Agent, what values will you most look for?

a) Honesty

b) Trustworthy

c) Responsibility

d) Someone who values YOUR values and wishes

e) Not important to me.

4. If you are in a medical emergency, or you are reaching the end of life, would you...

a) Prolong your life as long as possible using the most advanced medical equipment.

b) Choose not to prolong your life.

c) Seek palliative care and pain relief, even if it does not prevent a sooner passing.

d) Not important to me.

5. Upon death do you plan to donate:

a) Organs

b)Tissues

c) Parts

d) All of the above

e) None of the above

f) Not important to me. 

Why is an Advance Directive so important? Well, the reality is, if you neglect to organize and elect someone to be your Health Care Agent, the responsibility of deciding your end of life choices will fall on your family members. Keep in mind, this is only if you are unable to speak for yourself. But, it also means, that if the time comes when you are incapable of advocating for yourself, your family will be left to make VERY difficult decisions for you, without an Advance Directive. And most likely, if you have not finalized an Advance Directive, your family will be left to make these very important decisions without even knowing what your end of life preferences are. This can be a lot of pressure for whatever family member the responsibility falls on, which could be placed on someone like your son, daughter, husband or wife. If you have multiple children, who are your closest relatives, they could be the ones who will have to make the decisions. Furthermore, if they do not agree on a course of action for you, then this could cause dissonance amongst your family. Had they known your end of life preferences beforehand, and it was established on a legal document (such as an Advance Directive) then it would make it far simpler for your family to honor your wishes. 

So now you are probably thinking, "OK. This is simple, I just need to choose my significant other or my kids to be Health Care Agent. Problem solved." While, this is partially correct, this process should require a lot of thought AND conversation within your family. When establishing an Advance Directive, you may elect any family member or friend who will be there when you need them most. And, if for some reason they cannot be there during your time of need, you may select an alternate health care agent to step in for your first choice. In order for someone to become your health care agent, they must be at least 18 years of age. The California Health Care Directive really allows you to be in charge of who you would like your agent to be. The only holdup is that your health care agent cannot be your favorite doctor, physician, or any staff of the clinics or hospitals, unless they are a family member. So, always pick someone who will advocate for your needs, relay the information that you decided to your medical team, and be there for you.

What decisions can your health care agent make? They have a lot of responsibility in this department, which means you must fully inform them of your end of life wishes. End of life decisions are some of the most difficult decisions to make in a lifetime; however, it becomes much easier when you have legitimized template for your Health Care Agent to follow. For example, life support treatments (medical care to try and help you live longer) are one of the biggest decisions to make for your health care agent. Do you want medical personnel to perform Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation, also known as CPR, on you? Would you like to be hooked up to a breathing machine or ventilator that pumps air into your lungs and breathes for you? Would you like the Doctors to perform Dialysis, a machine that cleans your blood if your kidneys stop working? Would you like to use a feeding tube, which is placed down your throat and into your stomach? What about blood transfusions, medications, or surgeries? Yes, all of these questions are intimidating. Imagine how intimidating it would be for a family member to have to make these decisions without knowing what you truly wanted. Figuring out what you do or do not want can be overwhelming; however you can always consult your physician, social worker, or nurse to guide you through this process.

By electing a family member, loved one, or trusted individual to be your health care agent you are one step closer to completing an advanced health care directive. MS Quality of Life Project encourages that you continue to move forward and finalize an Advance Directive. MSQLP is co-hosting a seminar about Advance Directives that will be held on Friday, November 7th, 2014 from 11AM to 1PM at the Marina Library. This seminar will include a presentation panel from the local organization Compassionate Care Alliance. Everyone is invited to join us, whether you have questions regarding completing an Advance Directive, or if you are just interested in exploring this topic further. Hope to see you there!